An Exquisite Evening: A Night with the Kings of Leon
By Natali SachsWednesday, May 6, 2009
May 5th was a very special day for me this year -- and not because it was an excuse to get drunk off margaritas -- but because I got to experience a sold-out Kings of Leon show at the UCF Arena.
Culture vulture here, with the details of the Kings' Cinco De Mayo show! It's safe to say that most of the people around me were under the influence of tequila. As I bounced around to some of my favorite Kings tunes, I didn't know whether to cry or scream with excitement, so I just did both. For me, this seeing this band was a new and different kind of concert experience for me, because their genre of music is a form of Southern rock -- the type of music I'm not as accustomed to.
The Kings of Leon formed in 2000 and have come extremely far from their unconventional upbringing in Tennessee. They've risen from obscurity and are a Grammy Award-winning band, selling out stadiums across the world. It's a family act, consisting of brothers Caleb (vocals/guitar), Nathan (drums) and Jared Followill (bass) and cousin Matthew (lead guitar).
Their melodies and lyricism never fail to impress me. "What a night for a dance/you know I'm a dancing machine," is a lyric I could definitely relate to that night. They sounded just as titillating live as they do when I am jamming out to them at home or in my car. Their songs are emit raw sexuality and energy, with a taste of gritty rock 'n roll complementing Caleb's unusual, if soothing, voice. To think that it is possible for rock band with loud, hard instruments to have a singer that can serenade you to sleep! Caleb has that one-of-a-kind voice that has created a unique style for this band. I think that for me, a large part of what made this concert so intriguing was that they played most of their old stuff, which I'm partial to.
As I sit here eating my onion bagel, I am thinking about how fortunate I am that I get to experience unforgettable shows like this. One of my best friends, Jenna Tenace, was lucky to have seen them the week before me in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. I asked her if she could describe the show in one word or phrase what would she say? She responded with "intimate, entrancing, impassioned." I couldn't agree more with her. I think it's cool that she got to see them in a different state and had the same unforgettable experience as me. If I had one thing to say about the concert, it would be that Caleb could throw his sweaty rag at me anytime (something he did during the show)!
So if you want to get pumped up, whether it's at night before you go out on the town or during a workout, you should pop in some Kings for a rush of euphoria and adrenaline.
Some of my favorite old and new tracks!!! (I clearly have too many)
1. Milk
2. Closer
3. Revelry
4. Taper Jean Girl
5. The Bucket
6. Slow Night, So Long
7. Soft
8. Charmer
9. Arizona
10. On Call
11. Knocked Up
12. McFearless
